Thunderbolt 3 is probably useless on asus gaming notebooks

I just learned that the thunderbolt 3 chip on the GL502 and likely GL702 as well, (Intel JHL6240 controller) is a half bandwidth version.
Only 20gbit/s, max pcie 3.0 x2.

Not the full fat 40gbit/s version with pcie 3.0 x4.



Any external graphics card you use will probably have an enormous performance penalty.

Gimped.

If you look at the Dell 9550 with the same gimped thunderbolt controller....
http://www.ultrabookreview.com/10761-razer-core-review/comment-page-2/#a5

You see that with the Razer Core and a gtx1080 desktop card, the Dell XPS gets negligible gains compared to the gtx1060 in the GL502.
You're basically paying out the arse for almost nothing.


http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile...060-Laptop-Benchmarks-and-Specs.169547.0.html

Firestrike score:
GL502VM gtx1060 = 11600
gimped xps 9550 + razer core desktop gtx1080 = 11600.


What a stupid cost cutting decision by Asus. The difference between the 40gbps and 20gbps controller is only $3. I'm guessing the licensing cost is probably the same.


If you're thinking about using the thunderbolt port for egpu, you'll probably never get around to it, considering the cost of an egpu box + graphics card = $900-$1100.
And by the time you need a graphics boost a few years from now, then current laptops will be faster, and no more than what you would pay for a stupid egpu box and a beefy gpu.

Asus XG Station 2 egpu box just got released recently. I'm really curious to see what the performance is.

 

Ah yes I just read the thread on the rog forums where that picture also appears. The suggested retail price for the 20g on is $6 and the 40g one is $8.50 I believe. really.

 

It's really scummy that the PCIE speeds aren't advertised openly and honestly. What does a big company like Asus or Dell have to gain, really, by withholding this information?

 

how about the models that actually matter, like the G752, G701, GX8xx etc?

 

those should be the full 40gbps version

If egpu runs like crap on thunderbolt, then at least I hope there will be thunderbolt3 4k monitors with HDR.
This seems like the only thing these thunderbolt ports are good for now.

 

hmm


there's also the latency issue of the signal conversion to pcie

 

$2.50 per laptop

 

As far as I know the GL502VM was never advertised as a tb3 capable device, at least not on the product page. According to the website only the GL702VM has tb3. Don't expect 40gbps if it wasnt advertised.

EDIT: Does the device manager list the hardware they used? I would like to check it out on my GL702VM

 

Just got my greasy hands on a GL702VSK, and took it apart, since the thunderbolt software didn't state any info.
I was kinda hoping this would have the full fat thunderbolt. But no,

Every GL model has the gimped thunderbolt controller JHL6240.

Fortunately, your GL laptop will probably be fully dead before you ever need an eGPU.

check it out.

 

A smart way to force you to upgrade to a new laptop before you need

 

What do you mean with fully dead? Why and when should it be fully dead?

My 7 years old laptop is perfectly alive and might benefit from an eGPU (except the fact that it doesn't have thunderbolt 3 and has an old i7 2630qm).